Based on a Punchbowl News post on Twitter, the Guardian is reporting that the Republicans have agreed to avert a shutdown. I’m doubtful, and I think the Post has a more realistic take:
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) has a new proposal to avert a government shutdown, which would extend federal spending for three months and suspend the debt limit for two years in a bid to satisfy President-elect Donald Trump, adviser Elon Musk and the rowdy House GOP conference, according to three people familiar with the proposal who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a plan that’s not yet official. The proposal is on shaky ground: It’s unclear whether Republicans will embrace the plan in high enough numbers to force it through the House, and Democrats may not support it, either. The government will shut down this weekend if a bill is not passed.
That’s the entire piece and it’s their liveblog so hard to link. Anyway, as I noted in the earlier post, this will still require a supermajority and Democrats need to sign on. The need to have a “scoop” about the inevitable cave on the shutdown is driving some not-so-great journalism. In particular, Jeffries has said he’s a “hard no” on the debt ceiling increase.
I went out to run some errands and saw a bunch of Amazon drivers delivering, as usual, so I wondered exactly which Amazon drivers are on strike. Here’s the list from the Teamsters:
Workers will join the picket line from DBK4 in New York City; DGT8 in Atlanta; DFX4, DAX5, and DAX8 in Southern California; DCK6 in San Francisco; and DIL7 in Skokie, Ill. Amazon Teamsters at other facilities are prepared to join them.
Teamsters local unions are also putting up primary picket lines at hundreds of Amazon Fulfillment Centers nationwide. Amazon warehouse workers and drivers without collective bargaining agreements have the legal right to honor these picket lines by withholding their labor.
I will point out that one of these things is not like the other. The Teamsters knew that striking around Christmas was a way to get some attention. President Musk didn’t realize that he was touching a hot stove when he ordered the shutdown right before Christmas.
Baud
He has people who are supposed to touch hot stoves for him.
Elizabelle
Has anyone else noticed what a hot mess the new WaPost reader commenting system is? It’s laughably awful, and very much in place so that readers cannot easily converse and “like” each others’ posts.
Fuck Jeff Bezos.
JerseyBeard
I wonder if Trump knows he’s Elmo’s prag? I wonder if once he realizes it he uses that presidential immunity of his to settle things up.
Amazing times.
dmsilev
@Elizabelle: I’ve noticed that each and every comment thread seems to be dominated by people complaining about the new comment system.
I guess “engagement” is up?
comrade scotts agenda of rage
Given how Amazon basically terrorizes (possibly an overstatement but the only word I can think of at the moment) it’s employees, said workers will most likely not test that legal right cuz they’ll be fired for “reasons”.
And, wanna bet Amazon will do everything it can to help those workers easily pass or bypass picket lines?
Elizabelle
@dmsilev: And that is true. LOL. I think the media puts out stupid clickbait shit to drive “engagement.”
But. This system is the worst I have seen. And with the WaPost: they have to know that some of their reader commenters are just waiting for their prepaid subs to run out.
Very curious about how many readers the WaPost, LA Times, and FTF NY Times have lost. The Vichy Times’ headlines have been screamers.
Baud
I will be morbidly interested to see how Trump handles a major strike situation, especially if the strikers are made up of his voters.
comrade scotts agenda of rage
@Elizabelle:
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2024/oct/29/washington-post-subscriber-cancellations
10% as of the end of October. The Wa(com)Post obviously won’t comment on numbers.
Baud
According to Blue sky, Trump and Musk support the new bill, which already is a cave from their original ask for a clean bill.
hrprogressive
@Baud:
“Don’t know em, never heard of em. Amazon? Sounds like a failing business to me. Jeff Bezos? Bezos? Yeah, sounds like he’s gonna have to get his workers in line. Did they vote for me? I don’t know, who can say. Maybe they should go back to China or Mexico or whatever. We’re gonna close the border you know. Fentanyl is real bad. I bet they deliver lots of Fentanyl in Amazon packages. Someone should look into that.”
Steve LaBonne
@Baud: I am eagerly anticipating him having a major stroke situation.
Ryan
Personally, I think the minimum we should accept at this point is the abolishment of the debt ceiling. They use it as Sword of Damocles against us any chance they get.
Another Scott
This is my shocked, shocked face.
I wonder if the FSKey Bridge money ($1.3B) is still there.
I trust Jeffries and the Democrats will do the best they can.
(via Fritschner)
Best wishes,
Scott.
hueyplong
Does anyone else see these reports of alleged GOP infighting and think of the movie line, “Are you gonna bark all day, little doggie, or are you gonna bite?”
Wake me when a pair (or better still, a triangle) of GOPers have shot one another stone dead to “resolve” their alleged dispute via their beloved 2nd Amendment solution.
Elizabelle
@comrade scotts agenda of rage: I would like to see post-election figures. I think a lot of Democrats and liberals wised up and dropped subs, and stopped looking at news websites.
The MSM is so tainted and wired for GOP. Why pay for it?
Steve LaBonne
@hueyplong: We could issue them all canes with lead-filled handles. It’s the traditional way.
Baud
@Another Scott:
Wow. Talk about handing us a free win.
Jeffro
where is that Godfather gif when you need it?
House Dems: “my offer is this: nothing.”
PLEASE THROW THEM AN ANVIL, Ds!
comrade scotts agenda of rage
@Elizabelle:
No arguments. I just thought that a practically overnight drop of 10% subscriptions alone was significant.
Well, it would have been pre-billionaire owner days. Now? That drop in subscriber revenue is pocket change to Bezos.
Jeffro
boy they REALLY want that debt ceiling raised on Biden’s watch or gone entirely, don’t they?
wait…you don’t think they’re planning on running the national debt up to absolutely astronomical proportions on trump’s watch, do you? that would be really…what’s the word…’hypochondriacal’…no wait…that’s not it…
…HYPOCRITICAL. Yeah, that’s it!
Jeffro
It is. I’ve been having a field day ‘enlightening’ some of my RWNJ relatives that we flaming liberals do in fact revile the NYT’s political coverage. They’re like, ‘what? why?’
They also are floored that we almost never turn on cable news of any kind (even MSNBC). They, of course, have Fox running in the background most all day every day.
@mistermix.bsky.social
@Ryan:
I’m not clear on the current strategy of Dems wrt the debt ceiling. Jeffries is against:
I think that might be a short-term bargaining position, due to the fact that the debt ceiling forces a vote, where the R’s rely on D votes to get anything done, and therefore the D’s can force concessions. But I’m not sure.
I agree in the long run it is very stupid. Maybe someone else has seen some more of Jeffries’ or other leadership’s comments on this.
Geminid
Thank you, Mr. Mix for the good and timely post!
Punchbowl News’ Jake Sherman reports that my former Congressman Bob “No” Good says he is a “Nay” on the proposed legislation. Good won’t be the only recalcitrant Republican Congressman.
Sherman says the procedural vote to suspend the rules will require a two thirds vote. Then I think the actual legislation can pass with a simple majority, although Mike Johnson might not find it so simple
So it seems like this will be drama with at least two acts and maybe more. And here I thought we’d moved into a slow news period for the holidays!
Jeffro
@comrade scotts agenda of rage:
Gazillionaire wealth breaks all normal feedback mechanisms, whether we’re talking about politicians and political parties or business concerns.
It’s just too much to overcome (pitchforks and torches possibly excepted)
@mistermix.bsky.social
@Baud:
FWIW I follow the Elon Musk Jet Tracker on Bluesky and Elon went to Mar-a-Lago last night. So I think Trump et al probably gave Elon a little education in Christmas paychecks for government employees.
Jeffro
@Geminid: thanks for reminding me that Bob (No)Good is still in Congress for a few more days…
…I feel like I owe him a farewell “thanks for nothing” note that he can save in his scrapbook.
Baud
@@mistermix.bsky.social:
I guess, technically, eliminating the debt ceiling isn’t raising it.
Dems aren’t going to oppose a clean debt ceiling increase. Too damaging. It can only be used against us.
Ryan
@@mistermix.bsky.social: Thanks for the info. I’d not heard Jeffries’ position before. I think you can raise the debt ceiling and not cut Social Security benefits, call me crazy. Broader point: debt ceiling should be tied to current spending decisions, so Social Security cuts should be weighed on their own without the threat of debt limit increases not happening.
Fair Economist
That would be nice, if it were actually offered. What they’re *actually* offering is to cancel the debt limit *only for the incoming Republican-controlled Congress*, and then reinstate after they probably lose at least the House in the midterms.
Hard pass.
comrade scotts agenda of rage
@Jeffro:
I guess I need to change my standard line about billionaires to:
“Every Gazillionaire Is A Policy Failure.”
Still doesn’t resonate to a broad enough audience tho. This is why I suck at marketing.
@mistermix.bsky.social
@Geminid:
Good is no good as a rep but at this point I guess he’s good for us, short term?
Anyway, this is why the Guardian is sometimes not the greatest news outlet because they don’t understand the inner workings of Congress. 2/3s vote was always the way this was going to end given the time constraints and the mulish fools in the Freedum Caca.
Baud
comrade scotts agenda of rage
Hard Pass = Fuck That Shit
@mistermix.bsky.social
@Fair Economist:
R’s: “But we offered you a sandwich”
D’s: “Yeah, a shit sandwich.”
Baud
This will be an easy vote for Team Blue.
Ryan
@Fair Economist: Debt limit only when Democrats are in charge? Hard pass as well.
tobie
@Another Scott: Re: FSKey Bridge funds…Baltimore needs some good news. I’ll be heartbroken if a CR is passed that strips Baltimore of the funds it deserves.
@mistermix.bsky.social
@hrprogressive: You forgot the other option, Bezos puts $20 mil into some Trump slush fund and then it’s “my good friend Jeff who is being treated very, very poorly by the Teamsters.”
comrade scotts agenda of rage
@tobie:
I don’t think they’ll do that because the Key Bridge is considered “strategic”. Okay, most of the Interstate Highway System is considered that but Key Bridge was the only direct route for Hazmat transportation up that corridor.
They can’t take it into the tunnel which means it gets routed around the metro area on highways that serve a crapton of vehicular traffic plus go thru areas with higher population levels.
Thus, an accident on one of these re-routes could be literally catastrophic.
Oh wait, this is Putin’s Bitch we’re talking about…
Nevermind.
Baud
Another Scott
@Fair Economist:
Donnie seems worried about the optics, maybe? TheHour.com:
The Treasury says the debt stands at $36.17T at the moment. Wikipedia says the ceiling is $31.4T. So, come June, there would be a roughly $6T increase in the ceiling just to break even, and they’d need another $2-3T on top of that just for continued operations for another couple of years.
The headlines write themselves:
DJT presides over nearly $10T increase in national debt ceiling even before his proposed giant tax cuts take effect!!1
He never wants to take responsibility for anything, so of course he’s trying to prevent that headline from happening.
Just a guess.
Best wishes,
Scott.
rikyrah
Allison Riggs (@AllisonJRiggs) posted at 11:04 AM on Thu, Dec 19, 2024:
Last month, North Carolinians elected me to keep my seat on the NC Supreme Court. Instead of conceding, my opponent yesterday asked that court to throw out more than 60K North Carolinians’ ballots. I recused myself in the matter. His appeal has been moved to federal court this AM
(https://x.com/AllisonJRiggs/status/1869790833370902976?t=_TCBGzailZJFgWlGkR5laA&s=03)
lowtechcyclist
@Elizabelle:
I’d tried to comment on an article sometime in the past few days, and there was nowhere to comment. I expect that was while they were transitioning.
I just saw it for the first time now, and boy howdy, is it a mess. I posted a comment saying exactly that. And I wasn’t the only one. (The article was about a court case in Montana with <100 comments so far, so clearly we've got company.)
rikyrah
Lisa Desjardins (@LisaDNews) posted at 2:03 PM on Thu, Dec 19, 2024:
NEW: Senator Tillis, R-NC, says he will filibuster — speaking on the floor — any CR funding bill that does not include disaster funding.
(https://x.com/LisaDNews/status/1869835988178268466?t=ZFI3PXfXpRsVB4_GG5rd0w&s=03)
rikyrah
Tim![]()
(@trouble_man90) posted at 5:57 PM on Wed, Dec 18, 2024:
Leaving Bernie unscathed was a mistake. We treated him with kid gloves so their feelings wouldn’t get hurt, but it’s been 10 years now and they still think he would’ve been untouchable in a general election.
(https://x.com/trouble_man90/status/1869532526206931441?t=hiityoA3NZMla40FY6lygA&s=03)
rikyrah
Acyn (@Acyn) posted at 1:23 PM on Thu, Dec 19, 2024:
Meiselas: When history is all told, how do you want to be remembered? What do you want your legacy to be?
Biden: That I kept my word. When I said I was going to do something, I did it. And that my focus has always been about how to give ordinary people a shot. https://t.co/RnJWVsxhm4
(https://x.com/Acyn/status/1869825916383441373?t=Oh_1xC7E9Zk5-wDc1V6Mpg&s=03)
rikyrah
The Last Word (@TheLastWord) posted at 1:00 PM on Thu, Dec 19, 2024:
.@Lawrence: Trump has realized how Joe Biden boxed him in on the debt ceiling https://t.co/LQFogTAaEQ https://t.co/m1nuN689nR
(https://x.com/TheLastWord/status/1869819994189734255?t=5mt1b0Zq8IldjyPzwz7K1Q&s=03)
tobie
@comrade scotts agenda of rage: Remember when Trump called Baltimore “a disgusting, rat and rodent-infested mess”? He and his base would be gleeful if a chokehold was put around Baltimore by making clogged roads the only conduits for hazmats.
TS
@Elizabelle: The only comments I have made since the election is to complain about the new system – probably a minor part of what has happened to the post, but it adds to the trumpification of the post
Jeffro
@Baud: “We would like to thank the MAGA GOP for handing us such an easily understood and auto-rallying issue when we were still trying to figure out how to get our oppositional shit together”
– DC Dems
It’s funny…Republicans need the whole of Fox News to figure out what the message of the
weekdayhour is and what to think/do/say…Democrats just need Republicans to openly do their evil shit and boom, we’re good@mistermix.bsky.social
He must be very happy that his special friend Elon is in Mar-a-Lago with him:
Via Scott Lemieux at LGM
TS
@Baud:
What I find infuriating is that more strikes seem to occur with governments that support workers – trump will just ignore any strikes, whereas a Democratic administration will do all it can to get negotiated settlements. Same in my world, strikes occur during administrations that support workers, not those who see them as a necessary evil.
lowtechcyclist
@Elizabelle:
I’ve only got the WaPo subscription because they offered me a $1 per month introductory rate this past summer when I followed a gift link there. When the introductory year is over, I’ll be canceling.
scav
@@mistermix.bsky.social: Methinks the lady . . .
JML
Just so people less familiar with Labor and pickets are aware, Teamsters generally have provisions in their contracts that they respect other Teamster pickets, meaning that they won’t cross a picket to make or receive a delivery. So anything going in or out via UPS…not so much. among many other trucking lines.
So Teamsters setting up pickets on Amazon fulfilment is significant, and I assure you they’ll have every entrance covered…
rikyrah
Acyn (@Acyn) posted at 10:45 AM on Thu, Dec 19, 2024:
Reporter: Johnson may face a revolt.. Would Democrats consider voting for Johnson in that vote if he does amiable to you in the C.R.?
Jeffries: No https://t.co/rGxCtVIPHQ
(https://x.com/Acyn/status/1869786243531489486?t=2jhSeUJlSH1fkJ-vA2loVg&s=03)
rikyrah
Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) posted at 9:24 AM on Thu, Dec 19, 2024:
“The press would have been doing its job by exposing Trump’s pandering instead of nitpicking Harris to death. But even his most ridiculous campaign proposals — such as taxpayers picking up the tab for IVF treatments — received credulous coverage.” https://t.co/fMV76btvGn
(https://x.com/atrupar/status/1869765825516970002?t=nsek7-eR5srlYBi0FtTMHQ&s=03)
rikyrah
Some democrats are soft like twinkie filling. (@reesetheone1) posted at 10:26 AM on Thu, Dec 19, 2024:
It’s not about the economy for voters with no four year degrees.
It’s about culture wars and immigration.
Folks didn’t vote for 15 an hour minimum wage or Medicare for all in November.
They want those undocumented sent home, which most undocumented won’t be.
(https://x.com/reesetheone1/status/1869781324543996377?t=d0cmbW7XjVU2FUswfcqVIA&s=03)
Geminid
@@mistermix.bsky.social: Good will be tough for Mike Johnson to move. Good’s bitter about losing his primary and may not give a shit. Matt Rosendale from Montana could feel the same way. Those two guys are nasty.
I’m just glad beady-eyed Bob Good won’t be in Congress next year. His replacement won’t vote any differently, but Bob Good makes my skin crawl.
West of the Rockies
@Elizabelle:
The WP comments section is wretched. It’s damn near abuse.
comrade scotts agenda of rage
@tobie:
Looks like it’s still in:
https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20241216/American%20Relief%20Act%202025.pdf
Go to page 82
frosty
@JerseyBeard: Wow, twice to Urban Dictionary in one day. I learn so much on this full service blog!
matt
Wow, Trump said someone should primary Chip Roy for getting in the way of the deal.
Lobo
I am trying to figure out who is eating whose face here. Is Musk eating Trump’s face and/other billionaires faces, and representatives? Are the other billionaires now realizing Musk can F them over and they realize it because they would do the same thing. Are all the leopards trying to be the first to eat the other leopards’ faces.
I need a program.
Keep pounding this to everyone: The eight scariest words in the English language are, “I’m a billionaire and I’m here to help.”
Suzanne
@Lobo: I’m of the mind that this is a root-for-injuries situation.
Bill Arnold
@Baud:
Mr Trump is ignored!
matt
@Jeffro: Bezos probably considers denying that 10% the kind of media they want to be a benefit.
Miss Bianca
@Lobo: I think you need to add the word “myself” to your formulation. Nod to Reagan’s demonization of government aside, no one – not even their fanbois – really believes that billionaires are here to help.
Lobo
@Miss Bianca:
The eight scariest words(and a thought) in the English language are, “I’m a billionaire and I’m here to help(myself).”
Ihop
@comrade scotts agenda of rage: grey poupon how do you think I got so rich?
Works for me on many levels.
Miss Bianca
@Lobo: Works for me! (yikes!)
Geminid
@matt: This is awful early to be making primary threats. The next Congress hasn’t even met yet, and the 2026 primary season won’t start for almost 16 months.
Fun Chip Roy facts: Texas Congressman Chip Roy was born in Bethesda, Maryland. He went to high school across the Potomac in eastern Loudon County, and college at the University of Virginia. Roy just talks like he grew up ropin’ calves down on the Brazos.
@mistermix.bsky.social
@matt:
Sounds great! I hope that Chip and his opponents spend a lot of money and time on it.
Also, I hope that the threat of a primary challenge makes Chip even harder to work with, if that’s possible.
@Geminid:
My wife grew up riding horses but wasn’t into dressing up for the part and competing, though her dad made her a couple of times. Her brothers called her rodeo outfits her “instant cowgirl outfits”. Seems like the same thing here, but worse.
Juju
@@mistermix.bsky.social: Watch the opening from last night’s Lawrence O’Donnel show. He pointed out things I hadn’t considered.
Another Scott
@lowtechcyclist: Don’t be surprised if it’s working exactly as designed.
[ Insert long boring story about InfoWorld killing their reader forums and their “Reader’s Choice” award because participants voted for OS/2 over Windows… ]
Best wishes,
Scott.
lowtechcyclist
@Baud:
I disagree. This is a HUGE bargaining chip, and Trump & Co. want it badly so that they can have their huge tax cut.
The Dems’ demand in return for their votes should be to lower the full Social Security retirement age back to 65, with mechanisms to fully fund Social Security out to, say, 2060 as part of the deal.
Let Faux News try to use that against us.
Another Scott
[ womp, womp ]
Best wishes,
Scott.
Citizen Alan
@rikyrah: This is why I wish Martin O’Malley had run a stronger campaign in 2016. Hillary was never going to go negative on Bernie, if only because a female candidate can never go negative on anyone without the media calling her a Mean Girl. If O’Malley had been stronger, he might have reached the point where pushing Bernie out was his only way to stay in the race, and he would have been in a better position to call that sanctimonious POS out.
artem1s
$1 of every brokerage transaction fee goes directly to Social Security. Ten percent flat fee on all capital gains (you want your flat tax – here it is) goes directly to medicare and medicaid. Ten thousand dollar annual ‘seat license’ for private jets to land on federal, state, or local government airstrips and docking fees for their luxury yachts goes directly to unemployment and workers comp insurance. Twenty percent federal tax on all energy bills on server farms that would go to update the US electrical grid (sorry TX you’re on your own) and build a coast to coast mass transit infrastructure.
I’m sure we can get creative and think of a bunch more.
Paul W.
@@mistermix.bsky.social:
this language LOOKS strong from Jeffries. It’s the right tone and combining Musk and Republicans is good.
Curious for your thoughts in future posts, I think we’re seeing how thin a line Trump has to walk now that he has promised so much to some very powerful “allies”.
https://bsky.app/profile/hakeem-jeffries.bsky.social/post/
@mistermix.bsky.social
@Paul W.: He’s doing a good job. Good news is that we have a strong hand with the split in the R caucus between the freedom caucus (totally crazy) and the less-crazies. And with the R’s needing a 2/3 majority, Jeffries can tolerate a number of defections and still have a good bargaining position with Pastor Mike.
BellaPea
My stupid congressman, Tim “I’m a dumbass” Burchett is saying “Shut it all down” like the stupid mother f**ker he is–that idiot will be representing our part of the state until he is 80. And the Faux-News watching dolts in this part of the state will keep voting for the moron because he has an R beside his name. If we were younger, we would get the hell out of this red-state nightmare.
apocalipstick
@Ryan:
Does the debt ceiling legislation have a SS poison pill attached? Repubs are notorious for that sort of ‘heads I win, tails you lose’ gimcrackery.
apocalipstick
@@mistermix.bsky.social:
But I have been assured by many knowledgeable folk that the only way for Jeffries to be effective is to scream invective while brandishing a flaming torch.